Cresco man facing drug charges after traffic stop

CRESCO, Iowa – A traffic stop for speeding led to multiple charges against a Howard County man.

The Cresco Police Department says 27-year-old Lester Wallace Erickson III of Cresco was pulled over the morning of February 2 for driving over the speed limit in the area of 110th Street and Yankee Avenue. Police say there were valid arrest warrants for Erickson and he was driving with a suspended license, so he was taken into custody.

The arresting officer says Erickson asked for a cell phone from his vehicle. When the officer retrieved it, he says he noticed a plastic bag containing a green leafy substance. Authorities say a search of the vehicle found 5.2 grams of marijuana, 4 grams of methamphetamine, and a two-sided bayonet. As Erickson was being processed at the jail, police say another 3 grams of meth was found in his possession.

In addition, Cresco police say Erickson had bloodshot eyes, dilated pupils and admitted smoking marijuana in the days before his arrest but refused a sobriety test. Court documents state Erickson was convicted of OWI in 2009 and 2013 in the state of Iowa.

Erickson has been charged with possession with the intent to deliver meth, a drug tax stamp violation, possession of marijuana, carrying weapons, operating while intoxicated, and possession of contraband in a jail. He has not yet entered a plea.

Erickson has also been served at the Winneshiek County Jail with warrants for probation violation, failure to appear in court, possession of meth, unlawful possession of a prescription drug, providing false identification, and intererence with official acts.